Opinion Combined team- Lions 01-04, Cats 07-11, Hawks 12-15, Tigers 17-20.

M Malice

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I know this will be pretty divisive particularly since as a Lions supporter I have selected more Lions players in the side than the other 3 sides, I do however think that the Lions of that era were stacked with more elite individual talent than the other 3 sides, the merit of each side as a collective is for another thread.

Criteria- Must have played in at least 3 flags(some Hawks have won 4) which leaves out the likes of Gary Ablett and Lance Franklin.

Dylan Grimes, Matthew Scarlett, Chris Johnson.
Luke Hodge, Justin Leppitsch, Corey Enright.

David Hale, Michael Voss, Sam Mitchell.
Simon Black, Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards.

Jonathan Brown, Jack Reiwoldt, Dustin Martin.
Cyril Rioli, Alistair Lynch, Luke Breust.

Joel Selwood, Shaun Burgoyne, Nigel Lappin, Jason Akermanis.
_____________________________________________________________________

Unlucky- Brad Ottens, Toby Nankervis, Clark Keating, Bachar Houli, Jimmy Bartel, Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman, Darryl White, Nick Vlastuin, Brian Lake, Grant Birchall.

I found it hardest to select the ruckman and to leave out Houli, Birchall and Bartel, tossed up Edwards or Bartel and Johnson or Houli/Birchall.

There are 59 players to select from, the Lions have 16 3 time flag winners, Cats 12, Hawks 17 and Tigers have 14.
 
Oct 15, 2009
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I know this will be pretty divisive particularly since as a Lions supporter I have selected more Lions players in the side than the other 3 sides, I do however think that the Lions of that era were stacked with more elite individual talent than the other 3 sides, the merit of each side as a collective is for another thread.

Criteria- Must have played in at least 3 flags(some Hawks have won 4) which leaves out the likes of Gary Ablett and Lance Franklin.

Dylan Grimes, Matthew Scarlett, Chris Johnson.
Luke Hodge, Justin Leppitsch, Corey Enright.

David Hale, Michael Voss, Sam Mitchell.
Simon Black, Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards.

Jonathan Brown, Jack Reiwoldt, Dustin Martin.
Cyril Rioli, Alistair Lynch, Luke Breust.

Joel Selwood, Shaun Burgoyne, Nigel Lappin, Jason Akermanis.
_____________________________________________________________________

Unlucky- Brad Ottens, Toby Nankervis, Clark Keating, Bachar Houli, Jimmy Bartel, Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman, Darryl White, Nick Vlastuin, Brian Lake, Grant Birchall.

I found it hardest to select the ruckman and to leave out Houli, Birchall and Bartel, tossed up Edwards or Bartel and Johnson or Houli/Birchall.

There are 59 players to select from, the Lions have 16 3 time flag winners, Cats 12, Hawks 17 and Tigers have 14.
Interesting thread. Without looking at who each of the players are just going off your team and list of omissions I’d probably have Ottens and Bartel in for Hale and Sheds.
 

Hot Diggity

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I know this will be pretty divisive particularly since as a Lions supporter I have selected more Lions players in the side than the other 3 sides, I do however think that the Lions of that era were stacked with more elite individual talent than the other 3 sides, the merit of each side as a collective is for another thread.

Criteria- Must have played in at least 3 flags(some Hawks have won 4) which leaves out the likes of Gary Ablett and Lance Franklin.

Dylan Grimes, Matthew Scarlett, Chris Johnson.
Luke Hodge, Justin Leppitsch, Corey Enright.

David Hale, Michael Voss, Sam Mitchell.
Simon Black, Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards.

Jonathan Brown, Jack Reiwoldt, Dustin Martin.
Cyril Rioli, Alistair Lynch, Luke Breust.

Joel Selwood, Shaun Burgoyne, Nigel Lappin, Jason Akermanis.
_____________________________________________________________________

Unlucky- Brad Ottens, Toby Nankervis, Clark Keating, Bachar Houli, Jimmy Bartel, Steve Johnson, Paul Chapman, Darryl White, Nick Vlastuin, Brian Lake, Grant Birchall.

I found it hardest to select the ruckman and to leave out Houli, Birchall and Bartel, tossed up Edwards or Bartel and Johnson or Houli/Birchall.

There are 59 players to select from, the Lions have 16 3 time flag winners, Cats 12, Hawks 17 and Tigers have 14.
As a Hawk, I'd have Roughead and Lewis under consideration (not necessarily would select them though).
 
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Not easy. My only rule is that if you get a Norm you make the team.

B: Chris Johnson Matthew Scarlett Brian Lake
HB: Bachar Houli Justin Leppitsch Luke Hodge
C: Jason Akermanis Dustin Martin Nigel Lappin
HF: Jack Gunston Jarryd Roughead Paul Chapman
F: Cyril Rioli Alistair Lynch Steve Johnson
Foll: Brad Ottens, Simon Black, Michael Voss

IC: Sam Mitchell Shaun Burgoyne Jimmy Bartel Shane Edwards

Tried to weight it on GF performances hence Gunston who kicked 4 twice from memory and Houli who was close to BOG a couple of times. Tough to split Brown, Roughead and Riewoldt.
 
Bartel and Johnson have to be in.

Think Josh Gibson and Brian Lake are stiff not to take spots in the backline. Grimes out for either of them.
 

Veer Right

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Bartel and Johnson have to be in.

Think Josh Gibson and Brian Lake are stiff not to take spots in the backline. Grimes out for either of them.

Agree, Lake for Grimes is auto.
 

Dr Awkward

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I think Bartel, Johnson and Chapman would find their way into this side.

No champion ruckman in any side, but I'd have Nankervis ahead of Hale.
 

Barry_Badrinath

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If you're going off form in the years mentioned then you've gotta replace Jonathon Brown with Jarryd Roughead. Even Tom Lynch would rank ahead of him.

If it was 2006-10 Jonathon Brown then he's the first forward picked. But off 2001-2004 he doesn't make the team.
 

Craze

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A mixture of Brisbane, Geelong and Hawthorn players plus Dustin Martin. It shows how weak the AFL has been recently that this list has won 3 flags
The strength of Richmond is that individual players do not stand out.

In the past four years, Richmond has won 3 premierships, but finished 4th, 5th, 7th and 9th on Brownlow Medal night for most votes per club. Now either the umpires hate Richmond (the free kick differential supports this view, for those into conspiracies), or, the game style is designed to rely less on individuals. And I'd argue that Hardwick's game style is therefore more likely to allow Richmond to keep contending for years to come, as players come and go.

And therefore, I think the only Richmond player getting into this combined side would be Dusty.

This doesn't necessarily mean that the competition is 'weak', as you say. There are plenty of brilliant players in the competition. But the competition is more equal. The weakest sides of 2020 would smash the weakest sides from 2000, I'd argue. I just think the talent is more evenly spread out.
 

M Malice

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Not easy. My only rule is that if you get a Norm you make the team.

B: Chris Johnson Matthew Scarlett Brian Lake
HB: Bachar Houli Justin Leppitsch Luke Hodge
C: Jason Akermanis Dustin Martin Nigel Lappin
HF: Jack Gunston Jarryd Roughead Paul Chapman
F: Cyril Rioli Alistair Lynch Steve Johnson
Foll: Brad Ottens, Simon Black, Michael Voss

IC: Sam Mitchell Shaun Burgoyne Jimmy Bartel Shane Edwards

Tried to weight it on GF performances hence Gunston who kicked 4 twice from memory and Houli who was close to BOG a couple of times. Tough to split Brown, Roughead and Riewoldt.
Where's Shaun Hart?
 
May 5, 2016
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Depends what you're picking them on.

if you're picking them on actual grand final performances, Paul Chapman should be the first Cats player picked.
 
Depends what you're picking them on.

if you're picking them on actual grand final performances, Paul Chapman should be the first Cats player picked.

And Jack Gunston would be on the field, most goals in GFs of any current player.
 
May 5, 2016
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And Jack Gunston would be on the field, most goals in GFs of any current player.

The bloke is a jet.
 
Interesting that none of the three Cats NS winners made the team. All guns but Chappy was Geelong's version of todays Dusty. Always showed up in big games and would be my first picked out of the Cats triple premiers
 
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Geez I would love a player like him now.

Ain't many players like that now. Selwood could have done that a few years ago but has slowed a bit too much, Danger has always tried to do too much in big games which ends up being a negative.

Not that I can talk, Hawks are full of milquetoast players now too. There's just something in the DNA of a blokes like Stevie J, Cyril, Hodge, Burgoyne, Bartel and Chapman that made both teams special. The AFL doesn't have too many of them any more.
 
May 5, 2016
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Ain't many players like that now. Selwood could have done that a few years ago but has slowed a bit too much, Danger has always tried to do too much in big games which ends up being a negative.

Not that I can talk, Hawks are full of milquetoast players now too. There's just something in the DNA of a blokes like Stevie J, Cyril, Hodge, Burgoyne, Bartel and Chapman that made both teams special. The AFL doesn't have too many of them any more.

We have a lot of tough players still, hard guys that don't shirk the contest or get worried out of the game. But none that exude that aura that those sort of guys had. Tom Stewart I think is one that has the right mentality but unfortunately he's at the wrong end of the field.
 
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